About This Coffee
When naming his micromill, Luis Anatascio Castro - “Tacho” to his friends - took inspiration from his great-great-grandparents, whose nicknames were “Juana” and “Chute.” Combined, their nicknames formed the micromill’s name: Juanchute.
Luis’s eldest son, Tachillo, was the one who had the idea to create a micromill. They began processing cherry at Juanachute in 2012. Their family had been cultivating coffee at their 10-hectare farm, Finca Punta for many years and the micromill was another way to add value to their products. The micromill allows them to separate their lots by variety and processing method. Today, the family is fully vertically integrated from tree to export, including with their own on-site dry mill.
Harvest & Post-Harvest
Luis and his family selectively handpick ripe, red cherry and process it at Juanachute micromill. This lot is Honey process, so once it’s picked, it’s pulped and then laid on raised drying beds. They rake parchment frequently to ensure even drying. It takes approximately 13 days for parchment to dry.
Once dry, parchment is rested at the micromill for 2 to 3 months before being dry milled a Juanachute and prepared for export.
Coffee in Costa Rica
Thanks to tireless innovations, the sheer number of coffee varieties, extensive technical knowledge and attention to coffee production, Costa Rica is one of the most advanced coffee producing countries in Central America.
The climatic conditions in the country also play a role in the high quality of coffee produced. There are eight coffee regions: Guanacaste, West Valley, Turrialba, Valle Central (Central Valley), Tres Rios, Brunca, Orosi, and Tarrazú, a specific part of Valle Central.
Costa Rica has also become a world leader in traceability and sustainability in coffee production. Ninety percent of the country’s 50,000 coffee farmers are smallholders, and today, many deliver their cherry to boutique micro-mills that often process cherries according to producer specs to retain single-lot or single-farm qualities.
The rise of micro-mill processing, in itself, is a relatively recent development. Prior to the early 2000s it was common for smaller producers to deliver their cherry to cooperative-owned mills. As lucrative specialty markets developed, more and more farmers began establishing mills on their own farms, giving them increased control over processing and more assurance of the ‘traceability story’ so important to the growing market segment. Mills with excess capacity would then offer their services to neighboring farmers, offering a range of processing methods for small lots along with full traceability for roasters and importers. The system has enabled Costa Rica’s small to mid-sized coffee farmers to offer a wide range of differentiated products. Today, specialty lots from Costa Rica are almost as likely to bear the name of the micro-mill where they were processed as that of the producing farm.
The typically uncertain and dry weather patterns in Costa Rica make coffee farming more difficult. Long dry seasons and unpredictable weather patterns have virtually eliminated the possibility of organic farming. Nonetheless, both the government and farmers have taken active steps to protect the environment. Some of these restrictions also inform the processing methods for which Costa Rican coffee has become known.